Reel drive

ABSTRACT

A reel drive for a movie projector having a roller supported for movement from an ineffective position to a reel flange driving position, a first rotatable drive including a gear and a friction member resisting rotation of the gear for moving the roller into engagement and holding the engagement with the reel flange and a second rotatable drive for rotating the roller while in engagement with the reel flange for winding film on the reel.

[ Jan. 1, 1974 1,841,950 1/1932 Hinmari 74/405 Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian Attorney-Kenneth W. Greb et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A reel drive for a movie projector having a roller sup ported for movement from an ineffective position to a reel flange driving position, a first rotatable drive including a gear and a friction member resisting rotation of the gear for moving the roller into engagement and holding the engagement with the reel flange and a second rotatable drive for rotating the: roller while in engagement with the reel flange for winding film on the reel.

14 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Nicholas Mischenko, Chicago, 111.

Bell & Howell Company, Chicago, 111.

May 12, 1972 Appl. No.: 252,893

. 242/192, 74/405 G03b l/04, Gllb 15/32 242/192, 197-205;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS REEL DRIVE Inventor:

Field of Search....................

United States Patent Mischenko [73] Assignee:

22] Filed:

52 U.S.C1.....

REEL DRIVE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to movie projectors and in particular to a reel drive for winding film on a reel rotatably supported on a projector.

Known reel drives for movie projectors include a roller rotatable by a motor drive means for driving either a spindle which supports a reel or a peripheral flange of a reel for winding film onto a reel. The rotatable roller is supported on a member for movement from an ineffective position to a reel driving position. The roller supporting member is conventionally moved from the ineffective position to the reel driving position by a spring biasing means. A powered means, such as energizing a solenoid, is a conventional method for moving the roller supporting member from the reel driving position to the ineffective position. This reel drive has a disadvantage in that the spring biasing means for holding the roller supporting member in the reel driving position is considered having inadequate force for holding the roller against the spindle or reel flange for efficiently driving the reel. This reel drive has a further disadvantage in that force of the spring biasing means for holding the roller against reel flanges of different sized reels would vary thereby inefficiently driving the reel.

Another known reel drive has been in production on a movie projector produced by the present assignee. This reel drive has a roller for engaging a reel flange and rotating the reel. The roller is supported on a roller supporting member which is pivotable from an ineffective position to a reel flange driving position. The roller supporting member is moved to the reel flange driving position by a rotatable drive means. The rotatable drive means includes a gear and a friction member sandwiched between the gear and the roller supporting member whereby rotation of the gear is resisted by the friction member thereby providing a driving force through the friction member to the roller supporting member for moving the roller supporting member to the reel flange driving position. Continuous rotation of the gear holds the roller supporting member in the reel flange driving position by slippage of the friction member. Continuous rotation of the gear also rotates the roller while in the reel flange driving position for rotating the reel. Having a rotatable drive means with a gear and a friction member for moving the roller supporting member to the reel flange driving position is considered an improvement over the previous mentioned spring biasing means. However, it has been found that the rotatable drive means having a gear for moving the roller supporting member to the reel flange driving position and utilizing the same gear for rotating the roller while in the reel flange driving position does not maintain a high degree of reel driving efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present reel drive has a roller supported on a roller supporting member for movement from an ineffective position to a reel flange driving position, a first rotatable drive including a gear and a friction member resisting rotation of the gear for moving the roller into engagement and holding the engagement with the reel flange and a second rotatable drive effective independently of and simultaneously with the first rotatable drive for rotating the roller while in engagement with the reel flange for winding film on the reel.

The first rotatable drive being operable for holding the roller in engagement with the: reel flange independent of the second rotatable drive has provided a higher degree of reel driving efficiency than the prior known reel drive mechanisms and has provided a high degree of reel driving efficiency for different sized reels.

The reel may be rotatably supported on a spindle which is attached to a main frame or may be rotatably supported on a hub within a cartridge which is detachably mounted on a main frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the reel drive of the present invention in an ineffective position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the reel drive in a reel flange driving position.

FIG. 3 is a sectioned perspective view of the reel drive in a reel flange driving position showing the first and second rotatable drive.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spring actuated plate for returning the roller supporting arm to its ineffective position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the movie projector has a main frame 10 rotatably supporting a film reel 12 on a spindle 14 and a reel drive 16 including a roller 18 for engaging the reel flanges 20 for rotating the reel 12.

The reel drive 16 includes a motor gear 22 supported on a shaft 24 driven by a motor (not shown). A slow speed drive train 26 (FIG. 1) driven by the motor gear 22 is operably coupled to the roller 18 for rotating the reel 12 at a film take-up speed The take-up speed is sufficient for winding a film 27 on the reel 12 advanced by a shuttle drive mechanism (not shown) during projection. The slow speed drive train 26 includes gears 28, 30, 32 and a slow speed driving gear 34. The driving gear 34 is rotatably supported on a lever 36 by a screw 38. A fast speed drive train 40 (FIG. 2) driven by the motor gear 22 is operably coupled to the roller 18 for rotating the reel 12 at a film rewind speed. The fast speed drive train 40 includes the gear 28 and a fast speed driving gear 42.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the reel drive 16 also includes a first rotatable drive 44 supported on a roller supporting arm 46 and operable for moving the roller 18 into engagement and holding the engagement with the reel flanges 20. The first rotatable drive 44 includes an intermediate gear 48 pivotably supported on a post 50 which is rigidly mounted on the main frame 10. An idler gear 52 is supported on a sleeve 54 for rotation relative thereto. The sleeve 54 is supported on a post 56 and in engagement with a bearing 58 integrally projecting from the arm 46 by a key and a keyway to prevent the sleeve 54 from rotating relative to the arm 46. The post 56 is rigidly assembled to the arm 46 by a nut 59. The idler gear 52 is in mesh with and rotated by the intermediate gear 48. A friction disc 60 is sandwiched between the sleeve 54 and the idler gear 52. A compression spring 62 surrounds a portion of the sleeve 54 and has one end positioned against a washer 64 and has the other end positioned against a plate disc 66 which is seated against the idler gear 52. The spring 62 applies a predetermined amount of friction between the idler gear 52 and the friction disc 60 thereby forming a friction clutch between the idler gear 52 and the arm 46.

A second rotatable drive 70 is supported on the arm 46 and is operable for rotating the roller 18 while the roller 18 is in the reel driving position. The second rotatable drive 70 includes a first intermediate gear 72 rotatably supported on the post 50, a second intermediate gear 74 rotatably supported on the bearing 58 of the arm 46 and a pinion gear 76 rigidly assembled on a roller shaft 78 which supports the roller 18. A friction disc 80 is sandwiched between the intermediate gear 48 of the first rotatable drive 44 and the intermediate gear 72 of the second rotatable drive 70. A compression spring 82 surrounds an extension of the intermediate gear 48 and has one end positioned against a washer 84 and has the other end positioned against the intermediate gear 48. The spring 82 applies a predetermined amount of friction between the intermediate gear 84, the friction disc 80 and the intermediate gear 72 thereby forming a friction clutch between the first rotatable drive 44 and the second rotatable drive 70.

The first and second rotatable drives 44 and 70 are located on the backside of the main frame and the reel 12 and roller 18 are located on the frontside of the main frame 10. The arm 46 has an integral bushing 86 for rotatably supporting the roller shaft 78. The bushing 86 and the roller shaft 78 extend through an arcuate aperture 88 in the main frame 10. An arcuate guide 90 is assembled to the main frame 10 adjacent the aperture 88 to guide the free end of the arm 46 as the arm 46 moves between the ineffective position and the reel driving position.

FILM REVERSE TAKE-UP REEL DRIVE When a movie projector is adjusted to a reverse projection mode, the film 27 is pulled from a film take-up reel (not shown) by a frame-by-frame shuttle drive mechanism. Some projectors have a shuttle drive mechanism operable to project film at varying rates in a reverse projection mode such as 2, 6 or 18 frames per second. Therefore it is necessary to provide a film reverse take-up reel drive capable of efficiently winding film 27 advanced at any rate by the shuttle drive mechanism on the supply reel 12.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, adjusting the projector to a reverse projection mode shifts a link 92 toward the left (FIG. 1) by a lever 93. Link 92 pivots the slow speed drive train 26 about an axis 94 until the slow speed driving gear 34 meshes with the intermediate gear 48. The rotating motor gear 22 is now coupled to the first rotatable drive 44. The driving gear 34 rotates the intermediate gear 48 counter-clockwise about the post 50. Since idler gear 52 resists rotation due to the braking effect of the friction disc 60, the rotating intermediate gear 48 pivots the arm 46 from the ineffective position of FIG. 1 to the reel driving position of FIG. 3. As soon as the roller 18 engages the reel flanges 20, the idler gear 52 rotatably slips relative to the friction disc 60. A continuous rotating drive of the idler gear 52 against the friction disc 60 by the intermediate gear 48 efficiently holds the roller 18 in engagement with the reel flanges 20. It can now be seen that the first rotatable drive 44, when coupled to the motor gear 22 is operable to move the roller 18 carried by the arm 46 from an ineffective position (FIG. 1) into engagement and holding the engagement with the reel flanges (FIG. 3). It can also be seen that moving the arm 46 in this manner will move the roller 18 into engagement with the flanges of varying sized reels and still maintain the high degree of reel engagement efficiency.

The second rotatable drive will now be effective for rotating the roller 18 thereby winding the film 27 on the reel 12. The counter-clockwise rotation of the intermediate gear 48 by the driving gear 34 will rotate the first intermediate gear 72 counterclockwise by the friction disc 80. The second intermediate gear 74 is rotated clockwise and the pinion gear 76 is rotated counterclockwise by the first intermediate gear 72. The pinion gear 76 rotates the roller 18 counter-clockwise which, in turn, rotates the reel 12 clockwise about the spindle 14. Having the second rotatable drive train 70 rotating the roller 18 independently of and simultaneously with the first rotatable drive train 44 provides the higher degree of reel driving efficiency than the prior known reel drive mechanisms.

This film take-up reel drive is capable of efficiently winding the film 27 advanced at any rate by the shuttle drive mechanism by having the drive transmitted from the intermediate gear 48 through the friction disc 80 to the second rotatable drive 70. The friction disc 80 provides a slipping drive between the motor gear 22 and the roller 18 for winding the film 27 on the reel 12 at the rate the film 27 is advanced by a shuttle drive mechanism.

When the projector is adjusted from the reverse projection mode to a different mode such as an off mode, the lever 93 shifts the link 92 toward the right thereby uncoupling the slow speed drive train 26 from the first rotatable drive 44. The arm 46 is then returned from the reel driving position to the ineffective position by a spring 96 and a plate 98 combination or by gravity depending on the size of the reel 12. The plate 98 (FIG. 4) is pivotably supported on a bearing 100 which is rigidly assembled to the main frame 10. The bearing 100 has its axis in alignment with the axis of the post 50 (FIG. 3). Therefore the plate 98 pivots about the same axis as the arm 46. The spring 96 is connected at one end to an anchor 102 and is connected at the other end to the plate 98. The bushing 86 of arm 46 extends through an arcuate aperture 104 in the plate 98. With larger sized reels, such as 200 foot and 400 foot, mounted on the spindle 14, the arm 46 will be moved from the ineffective position to the reel driving position and the bushing 86 will move along the arcuate aperture 104 without moving the plate 98 When the rotating drive is released from the arm 46, the arm 46, being to the right of a vertical plane crossing the axis of post 50, returns to the ineffective position by gravity. Gravity for returning the arm 46 is desirable over a tensioned spring to minimize the force required of the friction disc 60 to move the arm 46 from the ineffective position to the reel driving position as well as the force required to hold the roller 18 in the reel driving position.

When a 50 foot reel is mounted on the spindle 14, the arm 46 will be moved to or beyond the vertical plane passing through the axis of post 50. Under this condition, the bushing 86 moves through the length of the arcuate aperture 104 and then pivots the plate 98 counter-clockwise about the bearing 100 which, in turn, slightly tensions the spring 96. The counter-clockwise movement of the plate 98 is limited by abutting a stop 106. When the rotating drive is released from the arm 46, the spring 96 and the plate 98 biases the arm 46 passed the vertical plane passing through the axis of post 50 toward the ineffective position. The arm 46 continues to move to the ineffective position which, in turn, moves the plate 98 to its limited position against a stop 108.

FILM REWlND REEL DRIVE When the movie projector is adjusted to a rewind mode, the reel 12 is rotated at a faster rate than the rate of the take-up reel drive. As shown in H6. 2, the roller 18 is engaged with the supply reel 12 and rotated by the fast speed reel drive 40. This rewind reel drive mode is desirable to rewind film on the supply reel at a fast rate after a forward projection mode.

Referring to FIG. 2, adjusting the projector to a rewind mode pulls link 110 downward. A spring 112 is connected at one end to the link 110 and at the other end to a lever 114; The downward movement of link 110 causes the spring 112 to pivot the lever 114 counter-clockwise about the axis 94 until the fast speed driving gear 42 engages with the first intermediate gear 72 of the second rotatable drive 70. The driving gear 42 is rotatably supported on the lever 114 by a screw 116 and a nut 118.

The driving gear 42 has a width for simultaneously engaging the first intermediate gear 72 of the second rotatable drive 70 and the intermediate gear 48 of the first rotatable drive 44. A counter-clockwise rotation of the intermediate gear 48 by the driving gear 42 moves the arm 46 from the ineffective position to the reel driving position by the idler gear 52 and the friction disc 60 in the same manner as the previously described take-up reel drive. A counter-clockwise rotation of the intermediate gear 72 by the driving gear 42 positively rotates the roller 18 in a counter-clockwise direction for winding the film 27 on the reel 12. The positive drive from driving gear 42 through gears 72, 74 and 76 rotates the roller 18 at a constant rate by bypassing the friction drive through the friction disc 80.

it can now be seen that first rotatable drive 44 is operable to move the roller 18 into engagement and holding the engagement with the reel 12 independently and simultaneously of the second rotatable drive 70 which positively rotates the roller 18 for efficiently rotating the reel 12 for winding the film 27 thereon.

When the projector is adjusted from the rewind mode to a different mode such as an off mode, the link 110 is moved upward until the upper end 120 of the link 110 engages and pivots the lever 114 clockwise about axis 94 thereby uncoupling the fast speed driving gear 34 from the intermediate gear 48 and the first intermediate gear 72. The spring 96 and plate 98 return the arm 46 to its ineffective position in the case ofa 50 foot reel. The arm 46 returns to the ineffective position by the force of gravity in the case of a 100 foot, 200 foot or a 400 foot reel.

What is claimed is:

1. A reel drive for web material handling machines comprising:

a roller for driving the reel;

means supporting said roller for movement from an ineffective position to a reel driving position;

a motor driven means;

a first means including a friction means, said first means being operable by said motor driven means for moving said roller supporting means from said ineffective position to said reel driving position; and

a second means operable by said motor driven means independent of said first means for rotating said roller while in said reel driving position for rotating the reel.

2. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said friction member includes a friction means for moving said roller supporting means from said ineffective position to said reel driving position.

3. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said friction means includes a friction member operable to slip for holding said roller in said reel driving position.

4. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said first means includes a rotatable drive and said friction means is a friction disc operable to resist rotation of said rotatable drive for moving said roller supporting means from said ineffective position to said reel driving position, said friction disc permitting said rotatable drive to slip relative to said roller supporting means for holding said roller in said reel driving position.

5. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes a positive drive for rotating said roller at a constant rate.

6. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes a friction member operable to slip for rotating said roller at varying rates.

7. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said first means includes a rotatable drive having an idler gear and said friction means is a friction member sandwiched between said idler gear and said roller supporting means to resist rotation of said idler gear whereby rotation of said idler gear applies a driving force through said friction member to said roller supporting means for moving said roller supporting means from said ineffective position to said reel driving position.

8. A reel drive as defined in claim 7 wherein said roller supporting means is an arm mounted for pivotal movement from said ineffective position to said reel driving position.

9. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 further comprising coupling means, said second means being operable directly by said driven means during one operating mode and being operable by said driven means through a portion of said first means by said coupling means during another operating mode.

10. A reel drive as defined in claim 9 wherein said coupling means includes a friction member operable for rotating said roller at varying rates.

11. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor driven means includes a driving gear operable from an uncoupled position to a coupled position for independently coupling said motor driving means to each of said first means and said second means.

12. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor driven means being operable from an uncoupled position to a coupled position for driving said first means thereby moving said roller supporting means to said reel driving position and means for moving said roller supporting means to said ineffective position when said motor driving means moves to said uncoupled position.

13. A reel drive as defined in claim 12 wherein said moving means for said roller supporting means from said reel driving position to said ineffective position is a spring.

14'. A reel drive for a motion picture projector having a flanged reel rotatably supported for winding film thereon, the reel drive comprising:

arm from said ineffective position to said reel engaging position; and

a second gear train operable by said motor driven means independent of said first means to rotate said roller while in said reel engaging position for rotating the reel. 

1. A reel drive for web material handling machines comprising: a roller for driving the reel; means supporting said roller for movement from an ineffective position to a reel driving position; a motor driven means; a first means including a friction means, said first means being operable by said motor driven means for moving said roller supporting means from said ineffective position to said reel driving position; and a second means operable by said motor driven means independent of said first means for rotating said roller while in said reel driving position for rotating the reel.
 2. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said friction member includes a friction means for moving said roller supporting means from said ineffective position to said reel driving position.
 3. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said friction means includes a friction member operable to slip for holding said roller in said reel driving position.
 4. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said first means includes a rotatable drive and said friction means is a friction disc operable to resist rotation of said rotatable drive for moving said roller supporting means from said ineffective position to said reel driving position, said friction disc permitting said rotatable drive to slip relative to said roller supporting means for holding said roller in said reel driving position.
 5. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes a positive drive for rotating said roller at a constant rate.
 6. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes a friction member operable to slip for rotating said roller at varying rates.
 7. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said first means includes a rotatable drive having an idler gear and said friction means is a friction member sandwiched between said idler gear and said roller supporting means to resist rotation of said idler gear whereby rotation of said idler gear applies a driving force through said friction member to said roller supporting means for moving said roller supporting means from said ineffective position to said reel driving position.
 8. A reel drive as defined in claim 7 wherein said roller supporting means is an arm mounted for pivotal movement from said ineffective position to said reel driving position.
 9. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 further comprising coupling means, said secOnd means being operable directly by said driven means during one operating mode and being operable by said driven means through a portion of said first means by said coupling means during another operating mode.
 10. A reel drive as defined in claim 9 wherein said coupling means includes a friction member operable for rotating said roller at varying rates.
 11. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor driven means includes a driving gear operable from an uncoupled position to a coupled position for independently coupling said motor driving means to each of said first means and said second means.
 12. A reel drive as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor driven means being operable from an uncoupled position to a coupled position for driving said first means thereby moving said roller supporting means to said reel driving position and means for moving said roller supporting means to said ineffective position when said motor driving means moves to said uncoupled position.
 13. A reel drive as defined in claim 12 wherein said moving means for said roller supporting means from said reel driving position to said ineffective position is a spring.
 14. A reel drive for a motion picture projector having a flanged reel rotatably supported for winding film thereon, the reel drive comprising: a roller for engaging at least one of the flanges of the flanged reel; an arm supporting said roller, said arm being mounted for pivotal movement of said roller from an ineffective position to a reel engaging position; a motor driven means; a first means including gear train and friction means operable by said motor driven means to pivot said arm from said ineffective position to said reel engaging position; and a second gear train operable by said motor driven means independent of said first means to rotate said roller while in said reel engaging position for rotating the reel. 